Stay Young
by GLITTERXGURL
Summary: The children of Massie, Derrick, Claire, Landon and Josh grow up and experience love, loss, and life, using their parents' entertwined pasts as a guide through it all.
1. Prologue

not sure where i want to go with this, but who doesn't love a little next generation action?

* * *

_hey, stay young and invincible  
'cause we know just what we are  
and come what may, we're unstoppable  
-_ 'stay young' -oasis.

Out of everywhere Harper Crane had travelled, her favourite place in the entire world was her family's chateau in Normandy. Stone terraces looked over the sprawling twenty-four acres of sparkling ponds, horse stables, and rose gardens. The Seine flowed in the distance. The air smelled sweet, the grass was greener, and the sun shone just a little bit brighter.

As a child, Harper had pretended she was a princess, away all year at finishing school in Westchester, only getting to return to her castle for one month in the summer. But she was twelve now, and twelve year olds didn't indulge in silly day dreams.

Her twin sister, Ava, however _hated _the chateau. She complained how the horses stunk, the ponds had frogs, and that twelve bedrooms was much too big for a family of five. She sulked the entire three and a half weeks spent in France until they went home to their Hamptons estate, where people spoke English, the air smelled like the ocean, and there was a good beach party every night.

This year, their older brother Thomas had brought his friend Seth, and the girls' friend Stella and her parents were coming as well. At last minute, their father's friend Kemp had had to go to Tokyo for business, so his son Carter was also joining them.

Unbeknownst to the parents, Thomas and Carter were rivals, having been since at least the fourth grade, when Carter beat out Thomas for the last spot on their class's soccer team. Tensions between the two had only escalated in the four years since then. From sports, to girls, to parties, the two turned everything into a competition.

The secretive and flirty glances between Carter and Ava didn't solve any problems either, because as everyone knew, Thomas Crane did _not _play when it came to his twin sisters, especially if one of them was fraternizing with someone as smarmy as Carter Hurley.

"It's great to be able to fill all of these rooms," Massie Block-Crane sipped a glass of red wine. She sat on the terrace overlooking the stables, where all of the children were currently hanging out.

"This better not turn into a 'we need more kids' discussion," her husband, Landon, chuckled.

"Maybe it's just Claire making me feel like this," Massie pouted at her friend's six-months pregnant belly. "The kids grew up too fast. The second we got here, they took off. Remember when they used to enjoy hanging out with us? When Harper promised us she'd never move out?"

Claire placed a hand on her stomach while the other hand fanned her face. "You forget all the bad parts of pregnancy while you're not pregnant. I am way too hot."

"Yes, you are," Derrick murmured into her ear, but his wife was quick to swat him away.

"Too hot," she insisted. "No skin to skin contact."

Rejected, Derrick leaned back in his chair. Brown eyes scanned the sprawling grounds. "Where's Stel? And the rest of them?"

"Stella and Harper are probably off plotting some scheme, the boys are with the horses, and Ava is sulking in the woods, counting down the seconds until we land in the Hamptons," Massie said with a roll of her eyes and a slight smile.

She couldn't have been more wrong.

Harper, Stella, Seth and Thomas were lounging in the loft above the stables. Sunlight streamed through the cracks in the wood, casting shadows amongst the hay and old horse gear.

"Where's Ava?" Stella fiddled with the wildflowers she'd picked earlier, weaving them into a crown. Harper felt the slightest bit envious, as she usually did, at how stunning her best friend looked, even with bits of hay tangled into her golden curls.

"The farther away, the better," Harper rolled her Caribbean blue eyes.

"Come on, Harps, that's your sister," Seth insisted. Harper occasionally felt lost looking into Seth's dark brown eyes, and right now was no exception. She couldn't even think of a single retort –a Crane being speechless, a first, certainly.

"Better question, where's Hurley?" Thomas's lip automatically curled into a sneer at the mention of his rival's name. At ten, they'd simply been competitive. But now, at fourteen, they were rivals. Enemies. The mere mention of Carter's name made Thomas's blood boil.

"The farther away, the better," Harper repeated. She and Thomas were Blocks through and through –scheming, conniving, and holier than thou.

"Not in the mood for a fight today, Tommy?" Stella arched a perfect eyebrow, a challenging note to her voice. She was the only person in the entire world who could call Thomas Crane 'Tommy' and live to do it again. The two _lived_ to provoke each other. She stood and stretched, causing everyone to take a moment to admire her endless legs.

"Not with Hurley," Thomas drawled, picking up a discarded leather riding crop. He smacked her with it, not too gently, and grinned. "With you, maybe."

"I'm not a _horse_, Thomas," Stella whirled around, starry blue eyes sparkling with rage. Thomas lifted the crop to smack her again, but Stella smacked it out of his hand. "Don't you _dare._"

Seth and Harper exchanged a look and a nod, and climbed down the ladder into the stables. Stella and Thomas could go on _forever_ like that. It was usually best to leave them to it. "Where to?" Seth raised an eyebrow.

"The meadow," Harper instructed. She had a feeling her sister was there _with Carter_, and wanted to catch them in the act. The two walked through the manicured lawn in silence.

"Excited for your thirteenth birthday?" Seth broke the silence.

"I would be if my sister wasn't also turning thirteen. I just know she'll do something to ruin the day for me."

"I've known you two my entire life. She isn't _that _horrible."

"She is! You don't see it, no one does," Harper grumbled. Seth stopped, causing Harper to stop too. His dark eyes scanned her and the corner of his mouth quirked up in a smirk.

"Just so you know, you're my favourite twin."

Harper felt _that feeling _again, the one she often felt when she was alone with Seth. Like someone had cut off oxygen to her brain –everything was fuzzy and her thought process was slow. "I…thank you," she murmured, a blush creeping up her porcelain cheeks.

It was suddenly so silent in the meadow that Harper was sure Seth could hear her heart beating. Gently, Seth cupped her face and kissed. Harper didn't know what to think; it was like all was right in the world. She didn't even care if her sister and Carter Hurley were together and she was missing it.

Nearby, someone cleared their throat, causing the two to break apart. Harper forced her gaze away from Seth's to her father, standing a few metres away, looking very, _very _angry. "Dad! I –we, um-"

"I came out to tell you all dinner was ready," his voice was low and controlled, a sure sign that he was angry. Harper wanted to protest that she was the good twin, that that voice was reserved for Ava and occasionally Thomas, but never her! "Go inside, Harper."

"Dad, it wasn't Seth-"

"Your mother needs help setting the table. We'll talk later."

Harper knew now was not the time to test her father's patience, and with an 'I'm sorry!' look at Seth, she started the long trek back to the house. Her only hope that her father didn't kill Seth was that Seth was Josh's only child, and her father would never do that to his friend.

She passed Ava and Carter Hurley on her way back to the house. They were standing way too close and whispering into each other's ears. Harper couldn't even take pleasure in the fact that she was _right _about her sister dating someone as trashy as Carter Hurley.

Over dinner, Massie and Claire asked about how the children had spent their day. No one was very specific. Landon was silent and Harper feared that he would never speak to her again, as only a twelve year old can. Seth sat as far away from her as possible, though Harper hoped it was because she was sitting with Stella and he was sitting with Thomas, and those two _always _put distance between each other at the dinner table. No one seemed to notice Carter and Ava were missing.

After dinner, Seth and Thomas went out to ride their horses, while Harper and Stella left to pick more wildflowers. The adults retired to their bedrooms, no longer able to stay up as late as they once had.

Massie rinsed her toothbrush off and wandered out of the ensuite. Landon was lying on the bed, a book open in front of him, but not reading. "Thinking about the company?" She asked, knowing her husband's mind never took a vacation, despite his body being thousands of miles from New York.

"I wish. Massie, I caught Harper and Seth kissing today."

"Oh?" she raised a plucked brow, settling into bed beside him. "Well I'm sure it wasn't the first time."

"What?!" Landon's Caribbean blue eyes looked startled.

"I'm kidding, darling," she giggled. "Although I'm sure it's starting. Thomas and Seth are fourteen, the girls are twelve, Stella and Carter are thirteen."

"Nonsense. They're _children. _They're _our _children." Landon was usually a realist, and rarely indulged in denial, but at this moment he revelled in it.

"Didn't you lose your virginity at fourteen? To that dancer?"

"Alicia Rivera," Landon said grimly. If Thomas was anything like his father, and he really was, their innocent boy was likely a man.

"And the girls…well, Seth is a wonderful boy. Josh and Olivia have raised him right. Carter, on the other hand…"

"He's not like his father," Landon insisted. Kemp had gone through a slew of women since his divorce from Carter's mother.

"I think he has his eye on Ava."

"I'll _kill _him. He's going to turn out exactly like his father," Landon's eyes blazed. Nothing was more important to him than his children, except maybe his wife.

Massie laughed. "Oh, darling, this protective father thing is going to drive them away from you. It's why my father and I weren't close growing up."

"I want the best for my kids."

"They're no worse than us at that age, surely. Don't you remember all the trouble we used to get into?"

Landon paused, thinking. "I don't think we were that bad. And when I'm through talking to our children, they won't be either."

"When did you get so old and stuffy," Massie touched his face lovingly. Fine lines marred his beautiful eyes and grey coloured his temples. "I sure am happy you've gone grey instead of bald, though."

Landon laughed, intensifying the wrinkles around his eyes. His wife could bring light to any situation. "I just worry."

"Of course you do, you're their father. But you're forgetting, these _are _the children of Massie and Landon Crane. They have good heads on their shoulders."

Landon placed a soft kiss on his wife's lips. "And what beautiful heads they are."

* * *

in case there was any confusion, as i tend to be confusing:

ava and harper are twelve, thomas is 14, they are massie and landon's children.

stella is thirteen and is claire and derrick's child. they are expecting a second child.

seth is 14 and is josh and olivia's child.

carter is 13 and is kemp and skye's child, although they're divorced.

hope that cleared anything up!


	2. Chapter 1

Three years later.

"Philosophy Events, Ashley speaking."

"Hi, this is Harper Crane. I just had a great idea; I know its last minute. Could I get eight male strippers for my party on Saturday-"

"Hello?" Harper Crane grabbed her sleek white iPhone out of her best friend's hands. "Please disregard _anything_ I just said. No strippers."

"Alright, Miss Crane. Is there anything else you'd like us to provide for your party?"

"No, everything I've discussed with Mila is perfect. Thank you." She hung up and glared at her best friend, who was currently laughing. "Stella, I will _kill _you."

"Harps, come on, how fun would it be if strippers showed up in the middle of your party?" Stella laughed again, and Harper fought a giggle. That was the thing about Stella Harrington's laugh –it was absolutely infectious.

"Not funny at all," she said, sobering. "This has to be _perfect._"

"Fifteen's not even a significant age! You should save all the party planning stress for your next birthday!"

"You sure didn't," Harper narrowed her Caribbean blue eyes. "You rented out that loft in SoHo and invited everyone from our school district, _plus _strangers you don't even know from schools in Manhattan."

"And it was a good fucking time, right? People are _still _talking about it."

"Things aren't as easy for regular people as they are for _Stella Harrington_," Harper said, slightly annoyed. She loved her best friend to death, but sometimes it was a little hard not to feel envious. Everything about Stella was effortless, from making friends, to her hair, to throwing parties. "Besides, my mom is _Massie Block. _Her parties were legendary."

"Harper, you know I was just trying to loosen you up with the strippers," Stella elbowed her gently. "You need a break from planning. The party is in four days, nothing can go wrong in that time."

Harper gazed at her impassively. "You clearly have not met our group of friends. Something _always _goes wrong."

Stella stood and tugged her best friend up after her. "Let's go to the Cambie," she named the bar downtown that didn't ID as long as you gave a little smile and a lot of leg. "You need a break and I need to write my essay on the French Revolution. Write drunk, edit sober, right?"

* * *

"So, how's the party planning coming along?" Massie asked over dinner that night. As busy Massie and Landon were, they'd promised when first pregnant with Thomas that they would _always _make time to eat dinner as a family. They didn't want to be the neglectful parents their own parents had been.

"Yes, how is the planning for _our _party coming along?" Ava looked up from her plate to glare at Harper. "Since I wouldn't know any of the details."

"Don't even try that," Harper rolled her eyes. "You didn't want to be involved in planning." If Harper had had her way, the party wouldn't even be for Harper and Ava. Just Harper.

"Hey, can I get an invite for Seth?" Thomas asked.

Harper stopped chewing. "Seth's going to be in town?" Seth had gone to boarding school somewhere in Connecticut two years ago, and as a result of their busy schedules, they'd sort of lost touch. Seth and Thomas evidently hadn't.

"Yeah, he's coming home. He got kicked out."

"What?!" Massie asked incredulously from the head of the table. She put a manicured hand over her heart and shook her head. "Poor Olivia, that boy has turned into _such _a handful."

Landon laughed, shaking his salt and pepper waves. "Like father, like son, I guess. Didn't Josh get kicked out too?"

"Uh, sure, I mean, I'll have to call the event planner and get another gift bag, but…" Harper trailed off, fiddling with one of the diamond studs in her ear. Seth was coming _home_. Between holidays spent out of town with either Stella's family or her own, she'd hardly seen Seth since he left.

"What'd he get kicked out for?" Ava raised an eyebrow. Knowing Ava, who loved getting into trouble herself, she'd probably take notes on whatever rebellious stunt Seth had pulled.

Thomas's amber eyes drifted to Harper before staring back down at his plate. "I don't know," he shrugged one shoulder, pushing his potatoes around. "Can I be excused? I have to pick up some books for school."

Massie frowned, but allowed him to take his plate to the kitchen. "When will you be home?"

"Before curfew," he rolled his eyes. "You're talking to me, not Ava." He muttered, which made Harper giggle and Ava roll her own eyes.

"I need to go out too," Ava pushed her plate away. "I'll be home before curfew too," she said sweetly.

"Where are you going?" Landon sipped his wine.

"Megan's," she called from the kitchen. Harper narrowed her eyes –Megan and Ava hadn't talked at all in the past four months.

"Alright," Landon sighed. "No one wants to stay home with their parents anymore."

"That's not true, Daddy," Ava smiled sweetly. "Harper _loves _to stay at home doing boring stuff with you guys. See you in a few hours!" she disappeared into the foyer.

"We don't do boring stuff," Landon frowned across the table at his wife. "Do we?"

"You guys couldn't have only had _one _daughter?" Harper muttered angrily, pushing her plate away for Inez to bring to the kitchen.

"Ava was born a minute in a half before you," Massie topped off her glass with wine. "She'd be the one daughter."

"What a horrendous thought," Harper shuddered. "I'm going to my room. I need to finalize a few more things for my party."

"You're sure putting a lot of effort into this," Landon smiled. "You're just like your mother."

Harper smiled back. Hearing she was just like her mother was the ultimate compliment. Women across the entire country strived to be like Massie Block-Crane. In the privacy of her room, she immediately called Stella.

"Seth is coming back for _good_!"

"I know," Stella yawned. "Olivia was over with my mom today."

"Why'd he get kicked out?"

"He was caught with two girls in his bed," Stella said nonchalantly.

Harper choked on the Evian she'd just taken a sip of. "_What_?!" Seth was the same age as her brother, seventeen, and Thomas had _lots _of girls over…all the time. But that was Thomas –_he _was the womanizer and Seth was the sweetheart. At least, that was how things had been two years ago.

"It's not a big deal. I mean, you're dating Mark. It's not like you guys are still hung up on each other like you were, what, three years ago?"

"Right," Harper's gaze travelled to the collage of framed pictures on the wall above her desk. One of the most recent ones was of her and Mark Solomon, her first real boyfriend. "Right," she repeated, firmer. "I think I'm going to introduce him to my parents as my boyfriend before the party."

"How's your dad going to react?" Stella laughed. "That's a big step though. Hey, you know what I've been wondering since I found out about Seth? How did he fit _three _people in a twin sized bed?"

* * *

"Don't go."

"I have to, my curfew's in twenty minutes, and I actually need to make it if I want my parents to change my curfew once I turn fifteen." Ava untangled herself from Carter. "But just think –a week of making curfew and then after Saturday, my curfew will be a whole hour later."

"The pros outweigh the cons," Carter placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "Maybe Saturday I can meet your parents, you know, as your boyfriend."

Ava frowned. "You know they forbid me from seeing you after your dad…you know," she said with a shrug of her slim shoulders. "Plus, Thomas always comes home with stories about you…soon, okay? I just need to get them to warm up to the _idea _of you before actually meeting you as my boyfriend, instead of as Kemp Hurley's son."

"I'm not like my dad, you know that."

"I do! They don't," Ava kissed him and slid off his lap. "I really need to go if I'm going to make curfew. I'll text you in the morning."

"Alright," Carter sighed, leaning against his headboard.

Ava preferred walking over calling her family's driver. They all lived in a gated community with several security guards patrolling the grounds at night, so it wasn't like anyone could just stuff her in their van. Her parents knew that, which was probably the only reason they let her walk home at night. Although, if they knew just w_here _she was walking home from, they probably wouldn't have let her walk anywhere, because she'd be under complete house arrest.

At thirteen, Ava had decided Carter Hurley was the man she was going to marry. Usually, it was her twin sister who planned out every detail of her life, but Ava couldn't help it. It had started with her flirting with him simply to piss off her older brother, but it gradually turned into her actually _liking _him. And then the like turned to love, though she hadn't mentioned that to Carter yet.

Last year, at Massie's annual Christmas Eve party, Carter's father Kemp had gotten extremely drunk (as usual) and demanded Massie give him a kiss under the mistletoe. After she refused him, Kemp got loud and yelled quite a few profanities and Landon kicked him out, banning him from the Crane estate forever, and banning his children from Carter Hurley forever. Thomas had been glad, Harper hadn't cared, but Ava had been distraught. And that's how the secret, torrid affair began.

She had a knack and a craving for pissing off her parents, and telling them about Carter would be just _too _good, but she couldn't. She loved Carter and couldn't bear the thought of losing him simply because she wanted to make her parents mad. When the time was right, she would tell them. Eventually, Massie and Landon would forgive Kemp, and therefore forgive his son, and then Ava could come clean and tell them just how much he meant to her. Well, of course, after she told _Carter _just how much he meant to her.

Oh God, she was turning into Harper.

The first thing she noticed in the living room was a white box, wrapped with red silk ribbon. A _present_? "Mom, Dad?" she called to the empty living room. "I'm home!"

"They're not," Harper entered the room, wrapped in a silk robe, towel drying her damp hair. "Dad's in the spa trying to fix something and Mom had to pick up fabric from the office. What's _that_?" her blue-green eyes landed on the box. "You got me a birthday present?" she looked at Ava, bewildered. "That doesn't sound like you."

"That's because I _didn't_," Ava rolled her eyes. "It was in here when I got in here," she turned the box over in her hands, looking for a name.

"What's that?" Thomas asked, throwing a bag from Barnes and Noble on the coffee table.

"A present," Ava shook it. Tissue paper rustled inside. "There's no to or from, it just says 'I love you'."

"Then it's _obviously _for me," Thomas plucked the box from his sister's hands and opened it. Nestled in the tissue paper was a red and black lace lingerie set. Thomas dropped the box like it was hot. "Okay, not for me." His suspicious gaze drifted from Harper to Ava. "So, which one of you has a secret boyfriend who buys sexy lingerie?"

"Not me," Harper said quickly. She and Mark had been together a month, the L word definitely hadn't even been considered. And as for lingerie…well Mark knew Landon Crane, and definitely knew better than to send anything like that to the house.

"Same," Ava said. Carter pushed her to tell her parents, but he would _never _be that stupid.

"What are you doing?" Landon stood in the archway connecting the formal living room to the den. His eyes landed on the opened box, and his three kids standing around it. A slight flush covered his cheeks. "Um, I thought your mother would be home before any of you."

"That's _disgusting_!" Harper shrieked.

"You bought Mom lingerie?!" Ava's lightly freckled nose wrinkled.

"See, we don't do boring things," Landon muttered, picking up the box.

"You get Mom a present the night before _our _birthday?" Ava raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, shut it," Landon laughed, rolling his eyes, identical to Harper's and Ava's.

The front door opened, and Massie walked in, juggling four rolls of fabric. Landon was quick to take them from her. "I swear," Massie huffed, tucking a piece of hair that escaped her bun behind her ear. "That place falls apart without me. What'd I miss while I was gone?"

Landon, Thomas, Ava, and Harper all exchanged a few glances. "Nothing."

* * *

"Do _not _mention Hotchkiss," Olivia Hotz hissed to her son, who was sitting in the back of the silver Lexus.

"Olivia," her husband, Josh, said from the driver's seat. "It's not like he's going to go bragging about it."

"_You _did," Olivia narrowed her silvery blue eyes. "This is serious. You got kicked out of school _five days before the start of senior year. _Do you know what that means? It means universities are going to look at you and go 'hmm, Seth Hotz, kicked out of Hotchkiss Academy five days before the school year even started. We do _not _want someone like that at our university'."

"We're here, can we drop it now?" Josh said before getting out of the car and handing his keys to the valet. Everyone was gathered at High Hills Country Club for Ava and Harper's birthday brunch. It was a tradition Massie, Olivia, and Claire did for their children, a tradition Seth had missed the past two years.

"Massie," Olivia cooed, her Louboutins clacking against the marble floor. "Where are the girls? Can you believe it? Fifteen already."

"They've grown up so quickly," she said, her fiery amber gaze landing on Seth. "Just look at you, Seth. Welcome home," she air kissed him. "The children are all at their table," she nodded her head towards the dining room before engaging in conversation with Olivia and Josh.

Seth had never felt so awkward. With the exception of Thomas, and occasionally Stella, he hadn't spoken to anyone in over a year. And now the first time he was seeing them again in almost _two years _was at Harper and Ava's birthday brunch. He swallowed once, shoved his hands in the pockets of his khakis and walked into the dining room.

"Sethie!" Stella squealed, the first to spot him. She jumped from her seat and threw her thin arms around his neck. "Welcome home," she breathed in his ear, causing him to shiver. Had she gotten even _more _gorgeous in the past two years? How was that even _possible_? "Look how _tall _you are!"

"Good to have you home, man," Thomas patted him on the shoulder as Seth sat down beside him.

"Welcome home, Seth," Harper half-smiled adorably. Seth couldn't tear his gaze from her. She'd been pretty at thirteen, but _now_…

"You can't just come to our birthday brunch and not wish us a happy birthday, Hotz," Ava narrowed her eyes at him from across the table.

Seth chuckled and offered up the charming grin that let him get away with so much. "Happy birthday, you two. Nice seeing everyone again."

"Mark Solomon," the tanned, sandy blonde guy next to Harper stuck out his hand.

"Seth," he shook Mark's hand. He didn't remember the guy from before leaving for Hotchkiss.

"So," Stella leaned forward, her navy eyes sparkling. "Was Hotchkiss as wild as everyone says it is?"

Seth hesitated. His mom was pissed already and had told him not to talk about…but these were his friends, and she obviously meant don't talk about it in front of their parents, right? It wasn't like a group of teenagers were going to gossip about his family.

"Wilder," he chuckled, running a hand through his shaggy blonde hair. He'd have to get his mom to call and set up a trim before school started.

"I bet," Harper raised an eyebrow. Seth had a pretty strong feeling she'd heard why he got kicked out.

"But it's good to be back for senior year," Seth observed everyone at the table. Stella and Thomas were arguing over their crepes, Ava was pouring _more _champagne into her orange juice, and Harper and that Mark guy were whispering in each other's ears.

It was going to be an interesting year.


	3. Chapter 2

_Nobody _threw a party like Harper Crane. And she knew it. Anyone who was anyone from Briarwood Academy was at the party, and since school was starting on Monday, this was just the thing to remind everyone who was in charge. Being alpha at such a young age was something to be proud of. No one as young as her had been since her mother's days at Briarwood.

Although the party was technically for _both _of them, Harper hadn't seen Ava since the beginning of the evening. In fact, she hadn't seen _any _of her friends, except Mark, who hadn't left her side once. Harper was getting tired of hearing stories about Africa, where he'd been living until two months ago. She saw Stella dancing with a group of boys across the lawn and longed to be having fun with her best friend, instead of hearing about the Abghobo tribe _again._

"Someone looks bored," a voice said from behind them. She turned to find Seth, looking rumpled, like he just woke up from a nap and came over. "It's your birthday party, shouldn't you be having fun?"

"We are," Mark answered with a grin before she could get a word in. "I was just telling her about the Abghobo tribe."

Seth stared blankly at him for a second before smile. "Well that sounds…_fascinating_," he nodded.

"Oh, they were, man," a wistful look came over Mark's tanned face. "I wish I was back there with them sometimes. But then I wouldn't be here, at my girlfriend's birthday party," he wrapped an arm around Harper's thin shoulders.

"Have you seen your brother?"

"I haven't seen anyone," Harper muttered.

"I'd say let's look for them…but knowing Thomas, that's probably not a good idea," Seth laughed, knowing they would most likely find Thomas and some girl together. "And sometimes it's better not to know where Ava is."

Harper laughed too. "Stel's down there dancing."

"Let's go join her."

"I don't want to be a downer, but I just don't feel like dancing," Mark said, removing his arm from Harper's shoulders. "You go, though. Come find me after?"

Seth stared at her expectantly, but Harper shook her head. "I'll stay here with Mark." As much as she longed to be dancing or having fun or spending time with her best friend and Seth, Mark was her boyfriend and she liked him. If he didn't feel like dancing, then neither did she.

But as she watched Stella squeal and throw her arms around Seth and pull him into the circle of wannabes dancing around her, she couldn't help but feel jealous.

* * *

"So, like, do you want to ditch this party and go hang out or something?"

"It's my sisters' party," Thomas shrugged, re-buttoning up his shirt. "Obligated to stay. Tell you what, I'll call you tomorrow and we'll set something up," he shot her his most charming smile, the one that got him out of pretty much anything

The girl, a leggy blonde who'd been in his advanced French class last year, accepted this answer, even though Thomas didn't have her number. "Your friends are probably wondering where you are," he said, a polite way of dismissing her.

Thomas finished buttoning up his shirt and ran a hand through his hair. He felt _a little _bad ditching his sisters' party to hook up, but it wasn't like they'd notice him missing from the one hundred and three other guests. He did feel bad leaving Seth to fend for himself out there though.

He found Harper and her new boyfriend sitting at a table a few from their parents. Ava had probably bailed to sneak drinks from their parents' liquor cabinet. It wasn't hard to find Stella at parties –she was usually dancing on the tables, or surrounded by a group of ogling boys, or-

Or dancing pressed against Seth. Thomas wasn't expecting that one. She caught him staring and stuck out her tongue playfully before calling him over. The group of boys and girls who worshipped Stella and had been trying to dance as close to her as possible parted to let him through.

"Aren't you two cozy," Thomas drawled.

"Where've you been?! I almost had to talk about the Abghobo tribe with Harper's boyfriend," Seth narrowed his dark brown eyes at Thomas.

"That guy is _boring_," Stella rolled her eyes. "Where's Ava? It's her party too; no one's seen her all night."

Thomas shrugged. "Probably off lighting shit on fire. You know how she is."

Stella laughed, grabbed Seth and Thomas by the hands, and dragged them through the dance floor. "We're going to save Harper, it's her birthday. She deserves some fun."

"Yeah, that Mark's really exciting," Seth snorted.

"Well," Stella smirked. "He's not having threesomes at school, but he's alright."

* * *

"Don't you want to be at _your _party?"

"Nope, not if you're not at it," Ava took a hit off the joint that was being passed around. She didn't mind ditching her own party, since she'd found Carter at a smaller, more fun party anyway. "Besides, it's all girls who worship my sister and try to have sex with my brother, and the tablecloths are _pink. _I'd much rather be at a party in Steve's basement."

"But…it's your fifteenth birthday party!" Carter protested. "Aren't your parents wondering where you are?"

"Please," Ava snorted. "There's like a hundred people there. And my mom's probably drinking a bottle of Merlot with Olivia, like she always does."

Carter sighed, defeated. She didn't get what his problem was. Carter obviously hadn't been put on the guest list, along with all of Ava's other friends, despite the fact that it was a party for _both _girls. So why would she want to be there? Carter should've been excited his girlfriend had bailed on her own party to hang out with him. Unless…

"Do you not want me here?" Ava narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"No! I mean, yes, I want you here. Of course I want to spend time with you," he nuzzled his nose against her jaw, causing shivers to dance up and down her spine. "We hardly get to see each other…I just don't want you to miss out on your birthday party because of me."

"It's hardly my birthday party," Ava muttered under her breath. "And we're going to start seeing each other more, I promise. I just…it's not the right time to tell my parents. Besides, with school starting we'll see each other more!"

"Yeah, in crowded hallways with over three hundred witnesses."

"Right," Ava bit her lip. "Well, I'll tell my parents I made the volleyball team, and they practice every day after school for two hours…"

"You? Team activities?" Carter laughed. It was true though –Ava was most definitely not a team player. Add that to how she hated every girl at Briarwood Academy…her parents definitely wouldn't buy it.

"Things will work out," Ava said firmly. She took the joint back and took a long drag. Until things did, it was nice to stay high.

* * *

"I just feel like I'm so out of touch with them," Massie murmured, eying the party from the stone terrace off the dining room. "It used to be just Ava. She's had it in for us since she was, what, ten? She and Harper used to get along so well…now we're lucky if they even speak to each other once a week."

"Todd and I used to fight all the time growing up," Claire said, winding her long blonde hair into a bun and securing it with a chopstick. Even at thirty-nine, she was effortlessly stunning. Stella had been lucky enough to inherit it. "Now look at us."

"You mailed him a Christmas card last year. He wrote back 'I'm Jewish now, ignorant bitch'," Massie frowned.

"Maybe we weren't the best example...and how was I supposed to know he married a Jewish woman and converted?"

"_Exactly_! You don't speak! You haven't seen each other since he left Westchester at seventeen. He's never even _met _Stella or Poppy. I don't want Harper and Ava to be like that."

"They're fifteen," Olivia pointed out. "_All _siblings fight at fifteen. When they get older, they'll realize how much they need each other."

"You're the only one with an only child, why are you giving better advice than Claire?" Massie laughed, before lowering her voice. "How are things? Any better?"

"He's not here, is he?" Olivia sighed. "I thought with Seth coming home, maybe things would be better. They're worse. I'm so mad at Seth for getting himself kicked out, and Josh thinks it's one big joke."

"Well Josh did get kicked out of Hotchkiss too. Seth is probably upset and embarrassed and sorry, and Josh knows what it felt like coming home after _he _got kicked out. He's probably just trying to make Seth feel better than how he felt." Claire said, pulling out her phone. "I just need to call home and say goodnight to Poppy. She's not a fan of the babysitter," she grimaced.

"Josh and I always said we were going to have another baby. Derrick and Claire swore they wouldn't, and now they have an adorable three year old and I have an impending divorce." Olivia crossed her Pilates-toned arms, watching Claire disappear into the house.

"You are _not _getting a divorce," Massie laid a hand over Olivia's. "This is just a phase. You two never hit a seven year itch...so now you're hitting a nineteen year itch."

"Enough of my problems," Olivia sighed, rubbing her temples. "How's your mom doing?"

It was Massie's turn to sigh. "She's not doing chemo because she doesn't want her hair to fall out. How s_tupid _is that? Doesn't she want to live to see her grandkids graduate?"

"Is she _still _not warming up to the idea of chemo?" Claire asked, rejoining them at the table. "Derrick's dad went so fast, even with the chemo…" she patted Massie's thin hand. "Your mom's really strong."

"And stubborn. If she says no to chemo, then it's not happening. I've read breast cancer stats to her, nothing is going to change her mind," Massie reached for the bottle of wine and emptied it into her glass.

"Did you finish this entire bottle?" Olivia raised her eyebrows. Neither she nor Claire were drinking tonight, as they had to drive home with the kids. And Olivia was sure Massie had uncorked a new bottle from the Crane's wine cellar.

Massie waved her hand in the air, dismissing it. "I'm not driving. I'm crawling into bed and letting Inez and the girls deal with the mess in the morning."

"Is Stella having sex?" Olivia inquired, causing Claire's navy eyes to widen. Olivia shrugged. "Sorry. She's just always surrounded by boys. And this thing with Seth has me wondering if it's just him. Did I raise a bad seed or something?"

"She'd better not be," Claire eyed her daughter, who was, sure enough, dancing with a group of boys. "And if she is, she'd better tell me. And _not _tell Derrick."

"What about Thomas?"

Massie raised a perfectly arched brow. "He's got Landon's looks _and_ his libido, I'm sure."

"Plus, he's got your eyes," Claire pointed out, giggling. "Has it come to this? Are we _really _discussing our kids' sex lives?"

"Claire, Seth got kicked out of Hotchkiss for having a _threesome_!" Olivia cried, causing Claire to laugh even harder. Massie joined in. "It's not funny!"

"It's a _little _funny," Massie giggled. "You'd be laughing if it was Thomas!"

"And you'd be horrified!" Olivia protested, but she was smiling. "God, did we put our parents through this?"

"Josh got expelled for pulling a fire drill," Massie sipped her wine. "Our children are on a whole other _level._"


	4. Chapter 3

i don't really know what to do with this anymore.

which is sad, because its only 3 chapters in and i really liked the idea of a second generation story when i first started

i know where i want it to go, i just don't know how to get there. so be patient with me, please and thank you

xo

* * *

There was _nothing _Stella Harrington hated more than the first day of school. After a glorious two and a half months of sleeping until ten, it was nearly impossible to wake up when her alarm went off at seven-thirty.

"Stel, we need to leave _now _if you don't want to be late!"

Stella found her dad and three year old sister waiting in the foyer. Derrick tapped his foot impatiently, and little Poppy was sitting on the floor, sucking on the foot of one of her Barbies. "We need your mother," Derrick muttered, ushering the two girls out the door to his Porche.

"I wish she would've brought us to Manhattan with her," Stella buckled her seatbelt. "Or not gone at all. How many meetings does she need to have with the Westchester Coalition for the Hungry and Homeless anyway?"

"Mom's an insane force within the New York social scene," Derrick said. "That includes her planning the majority of the charity events in New York. Meetings are necessary."

"Will you write me a note to get out of History?"

"No! I thought you were excited about your classes-"

"Me a note for naps!" Poppy cried from the backseat. She slammed her Barbie repeatedly against her car seat. "No naps, no naps, no naps!"

"If you go to History, I'll take your nap," Stella grinned at her little sister, but Poppy had returned to sucking on her Barbie's foot and staring out the window.

"You're going to History," Derrick stopped at a red light and peeked behind his seat at Poppy. " You're taking a nap, and then tonight we'll go to the Club for dinner and count down the hours until your mom comes home."

"Mommy doesn't let me have Kool-Aid at breakfast," Poppy said, kicking the back of the driver's seat. Derrick winced with every hit.

"You let her have Kool-Aid at _breakfast_?! Dad, it's like all sugar!"

"I didn't know that! It was grape Kool-Aid, grapes are _fruit _–I thought it was like fruit juice." Derrick pulled up to Poppy's pre-school. "Doesn't matter _now_, does it, Pops? No, you're all Miss Sarah's problem now," he lifted her out of the car seat. "You try to be on your best behavior. And if Miss Sarah asks, tell her Mommy let you have Kool-Aid for breakfast. _Mommy_, not Daddy, alright?"

As bad as waking up early was, being at school was even worse. Stella thoroughly enjoyed school, but _not _on the first day back from summer vacation. She couldn't stand the masses of squealing, fake-tanned girls, screaming about how they _missed _their best friends. If they were such good friends, why didn't they see each other over the summer? If they had, they wouldn't have been blocking the hallways, squealing and hugging.

Stella rolled her eyes, pushing past two girls hugging and jumping up and down. She just wanted to get to her first class, find a good seat, and ignore the countless girls who would ask how '_ah_-mazing' her summer had been.

"What are _you _doing here?"

Stella looked around the room until she spotted Thomas, sitting at a table two rows from the front. "I'm taking twelfth grade Bio this year," she sat beside him and laid out her binder and notebook on the table. "That way, next year I won't have to take Biology, and I can have a second spare block. I'm going to schedule it the same time that the juniors have their spare so Harper and I have it together."

"How well thought out," Thomas rolled his amber eyes.

"So, be my lab partner?"

Thomas raised an eyebrow. "Maybe."

"Come on, like anyone else would put up with you as a partner the entire year."

"Look around. One hundred dollars says every single girl in this class is secretly praying for me to ask them to be my partner." The two glanced around the room, and sure enough, several of the girls in the class were looking at Thomas with hopeful eyes. He wouldn't pick any of them in a million years –their conversations consisted of talking about the newest Marc Jacobs handbag, or trying to hit on him.

"Fine," Stella gathered her belongings again. "Take your pick."

Thomas rolled his eyes. He wasn't being _serious. _No one in their right mind would choose one of the average and a tad obsessive girls over _Stella Harrington. _Thomas raised an eyebrow and patiently waited for her to retake her seat.

"Adam!" Stella smiled sweetly at one of Briarwood's star basketball players. Adam nearly tumbled off of his stool when he realized who'd called his name. "I kind of need a partner…" she trailed off, her gaze moving to the girl seated beside him. "Oh, I didn't realize you had one already."

"No, it's fine! I'll be your partner," Adam stood and gathered his books quickly. "You don't mind, right, Jess?" The girl, Jess, glared at Stella and said nothing.

"I think Thomas is looking for a partner," Stella turned to shoot Thomas a sugary sweet smile before following Adam to a new table.

Jess cautiously took the seat beside Thomas, as if she was expecting him to tell her to get lost, which he probably should've. Her makeup was overdone and she didn't smell as nice as Stella.

"So, like, I saw Harper with the new Marc Jacobs bag," Jess murmured, twirling a piece of dyed blonde hair around a slender finger. "Isn't it _gorgeous_?"

Thomas turned around to glare at Stella, but she was too busy giggling over something Adam was saying. He was going to _kill _her.

* * *

Harper gazed around her English class, looking for someone at least _somewhat _normal to talk to. That was the problem with having a best friend a year older than you – you were never in classes together. Mia Abeley and Rachel Jones, two girls Harper occasionally let sit with her and Stella at lunch, wandered in and immediately began waving when they spotted her. They quickly filled the desks on either side of her.

"Cute bag," Mia nodded to Harper's new Marc Jacobs tote.

"_Super _cute," Rachel nodded. "My mom totally knows Marc, and she says he's making a huge comeback." Rachel's mother, Dylan Marvil-Jones, was a talk show host, and was often referred to as 'East Coast Oprah'. Rachel liked to think she was ahead of the curve on _everything _simply because her mother was Dylan Marvil-Jones.

Harper bit her tongue to stop herself from saying something rude. A comeback? Marc had never even _left._ Now she remembered why Rachel and Mia were _occasional _friends. They were too annoying to keep around all the time.

"Isn't it _so hot _how Seth got kicked out of boarding school?" Mia gushed.

"Um, he got caught with two girls in his bed," Harper hissed. "That is probably the _trashiest _reason to get kicked out of school."

"And he definitely grew up in the two years since he left," Rachel winked. "My mom says older boys are so in right now."

"Isn't your mother going through her fourth divorce right now?" Harper raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't exactly _trust _her opinion on boys."

"Oh, you're just bitter that you have a boyfriend and can't go after Seth," Rachel rolled her eyes. "You have Mark, save some boys for the rest of us!"

"Like Seth would even be interested in you," Harper muttered, intentionally loud enough that they could hear her. Had Mia and Rachel gotten even more annoying over the summer? How could anyone be such a wannabe? She didn't know why, but they were getting on her nerves more than usual today.

"We should totally hit the mall after school today," Mia suggested. "I want to get a few new pairs of shoes."

"Yes!" Rachel agreed. "Um, maybe you could invite Stella?" she asked tentatively. Harper inwardly smirked. Of course they were too intimidated by Stella to talk to her themselves.

"We can't," Harper said, putting pens back in her pencil case. If she moved quickly, she could grab a new seat, far away from these losers, before the bell rang.

"Why not?" Mia pouted.

Harper stood and faux-pouted back at her. "Sorry. We hate you."

* * *

"Maybe we should get back to class."

"Are you honestly thinking of school while we're making out?" Ava narrowed her eyes, although it was dark in the janitor's closet and Carter probably couldn't even tell. Who cared that she was skipping Geography? She knew where America was, she knew where Canada and Europe were -was there really anything else she needed to know?

"I just…supply closets aren't very romantic, you know?"

"I don't care about romantic," Ava crossed her arms. "I just want to see you once in a while, even if that means skipping class." Seeing Carter was the real prize, but the phone call to her parents about her absence from Geography was definitely a plus.

"We're in a dark supply closet, Aves, we can't see each other."

"You know what I mean. What's gotten into you lately? It's like you don't want to be with me."

"I _do_," Carter's hand grazed her arm. "You know I do. All this sneaking around is just tiring. And I'm terrified of your dad, and if he finds out this way…I want your parents to like me when you tell them I'm your boyfriend. Have you talked to them about it at all yet?"

"God, will you lay off of that?" Ava yanked her hands out of his grasp. Couldn't he leave it alone for a _day? _

"Sorry," Carter murmured, his lips finding her cheek, then her ear, then her lips. "I'm sorry."

Ava felt herself softening, and she kissed him back. "I forgive you," she murmured. Sooner or later, she'd tell her parents about Carter.

Maybe.

* * *

"Do you like Westchester more than Connecticut?"

"Was Hotchkiss totally insane?"

"Were the girls hotter at Briarwood or Hotchkiss?"

"Obviously Briarwood, I mean, _hello, _I'm here."

Seth resisted the urge to slam his head repeatedly into the desk. Why did everyone care so much about Hotchkiss? He went there, he got kicked out, he was back. Simple as that.

"You done signing autographs for your adoring fans?" Thomas said loudly, despite the fact that they were in the library. Miss Smith, the ancient librarian, shot him a _shhhh_, but Thomas smiled angelically back. "Let's bail –it's the first day of school, it's not like we have anything to do in study block."

Seth shot him a grateful smile and followed him out of the library.

"Mindy Collins was bragging about how she bought you a coffee this morning. I swear the girl she was sitting with was going to claw her eyes out for getting to you first. Nothing like a sudden return from boarding school to boost your popularity."

"You're just jealous the girls are all over me and not you for once," Seth joked. "You're more than welcome to take them all back though. They won't leave me alone. They ask all these questions. I don't know how you do it."

The two signed out at the office and got into Thomas's Range Rover. The nice thing about being at a regular school was that when you went home, you didn't have to see your teachers until the next morning. The bad thing about being at a regular school was that when you went home, you got to witness your parents fighting over everything.

Seth didn't know when his parents had started fighting. When he left for Hotchkiss, things had been fine. Holidays were spent traveling with both parents, though his mom usually spent a lot of time working. Had it been because she didn't want to hang out with Seth and his dad?

"At least we have the house to ourselves for an hour before my sisters get home. And my parents won't be home until-" Thomas broke off, as his mother was seated at the island in the kitchen. "What are you doing home?"

Her eyes drifted from Thomas to Seth. "I'm the boss, I can come home whenever. What are you doing home?"

"Study Block –we had nothing to study. We're going upstairs…" his gaze landed on the bottle of wine partially empty. "Wine already? What are you celebrating?"

"I just saw some items from the new line," she smiled. "They look _amazing. _Had to have a quick celebration before sharing the news at dinner. Are you joining us, Seth?"

"If that's alright," Seth mumbled. Wasn't champagne for celebrations?

"Of course," Massie stood, rinsing out her glass. "How are your parents?"

"Good," Seth answered carefully. His mother and Massie were best friends, but he wasn't sure if Massie knew anything. Maybe there wasn't anything to know, maybe he was just overreacting. All parents fought occasionally, right?

* * *

"I hate everyone at that stupid school," Harper kicked her shoes into the closet. "Hate them. When did everyone become so _lame_?"

"Everyone's always been lame," Stella rolled her eyes. "I've been telling you that for years."

"Remind me to start listening to you," Harper murmured, checking her phone for messages. Thirteen from Mark. _Thirteen_! They had just seen each other twenty-three minutes ago; how could he send thirteen texts in twenty-three minutes?!

"I should get going. My mom's in Manhattan and, well, you know my dad."

Harper pouted. "Stay, let me complain some more!"

"Seth texted me saying he was here too," Stella grabbed her shoes. "Go find him and complain. I'll see you in the morning –Starbucks?"

"Sounds good," Harper murmured. It was _her _house, shouldn't Seth text _her _and tell her he was here?

She found him in the basement, surprisingly alone. "Where's Thomas?" she sat on the couch beside Seth. Some video game was paused on the TV. In simpler times, when the Crane children had all gotten along for the most part, Thomas would spend hours playing Wii tennis with Ava and Harper. Ava would always insist they play boxing instead, and Harper would sulk if she lost. That was probably why Thomas stopped letting them play with him.

"He found out Stel was here and went to fight with her over something," Seth laughed.

"One day they're going to grow up and realize they're _perfect _for each other and get married," Harper declared. Whether or not Stella and Thomas knew, Harper did. Deep, deep down, they loved each other. They had to!

"You just want them to get married so you and Stella will be real sisters," Seth half smiled at her, and Harper felt that old feeling, the one where things got kind of fuzzy when she stared into his dark eyes for too long.

"Um, maybe," she murmured. "Then again, I already have two crazy siblings, maybe it's best not to add another one."

"I wish I had brothers or sisters," Seth said with a sigh.

"It's not as fun as you'd think."

"Maybe not," Seth said, sounding kind of sad. Harper wanted to ask what was wrong, but wasn't sure if they were at that level of friendship or not. She'd barely spoken to him in two years –were they supposed to just resume the friendship they'd had? Or build it back up gradually? When had things gotten so awkward and confusing?

* * *

"Where were you tonight?"

Landon knew from the tone of his wife's voice that she was _pissed_, even though he couldn't see her. He turned around to find her in the doorway of their closet, glass of wine in hand. "I got tied up at work. I should've called, I'm sorry." He hung up his tie and kissed her on the cheek.

Massie continued to glare. "Landon, we promised we would _always _make time for family dinners. I know you're busy and the office needs you, but so does your family."

"Mass, it was one dinner. I guarantee that no family spends every single dinner eating together as a family. The kids skip out all the time!"

"Are you really saying your actions are okay simply because the _kids _do it?!"

"What?! No –why are you acting like this?" Landon and Massie didn't usually fight, especially over things as stupid as missing dinner. "Have you been spending too much time with Olivia?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Olivia picks fights with Josh over every little thing," Landon said, walking out of the closet. He didn't want to be fighting –he'd had a tough day at work, and if he hurried to find Inez, he could ask her to make him a quesadilla before she went to bed.

Massie was quick to follow. "Josh does stupid things to provoke her! You _know _that!"

"Massie, what are we doing? I'm sorry I got tied up at work. That has nothing to do with Olivia and Josh, let's not turn their fight into ours."

Massie stared blankly back at him. "I've got a lot of work to do. I'll see you in the morning," she said, slipping out of their room. Landon heard the door of her home office slam shut. With a sigh, he crawled into bed. After nineteen years of marriage, he knew that when Massie was in a bad mood, getting Inez to make greasy, cheese-filled quesadillas wasn't even to be considered.


End file.
